Communication networks allow users to communicate with other users and/or networks using various devices. Frequently, at least one of the devices is a wireless device that communicates with at least one wireless network. For example, a user may use their mobile device to attempt to contact another wireless device using a wireless network. The wireless network locates the other wireless device and establishes a communication path between the two devices, thereby allowing the devices to communicate. When the two devices are not part of the same wireless network, a plurality of wireless networks may work together to establish the communications link between the devices.
Verification of the identity of the devices is a constant problem in wireless communications. Specifically, wireless networks create an opportunity for unscrupulous users to eavesdrop on wireless communications and possibly impersonate a wireless device and/or wireless network. Thus, various solutions have been proposed for authenticating wireless devices and/or networks. However, few solutions address the situation where a mobile device roams into a foreign network and requests services from a network source. In such a case, the network source may have no way of authenticating the mobile device because there may not be a prior security association between the network source and the mobile device. Consequently, a need exists for a method of creating a security association between the network source and the mobile device when the mobile device is roaming in a foreign network.